1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus for a rear hood of a vehicle that may be opened by raising the front edge or rear edge of the hood.
2. Background Art
German published patent application DE 199 46 454 A1 (U.S. Pat. No. 6,193,300) discloses a trunk lid of a vehicle that may be raised to load a trunk. A seven-joint link assembly connects the trunk lid to a vehicle body. A rear edge of the trunk lid can be manually raised to open the trunk lid. A front edge of the trunk lid can be raised by a motor to stow a foldable vehicle hood. The front edge is adjacent to a vehicle interior. Raising the front edge of the trunk lid provides access to a folding-top compartment for receiving a folding top of the vehicle. A rear locking element retains the trunk lid in its closed position. The trunk lid can be pivoted about a pivot axis located at the rear side to allow the front edge to be raised. The front edge of the trunk lid is erected about pivot axis using an electric motor that acts on a link of the seven-joint link assembly of the trunk lid. In a first movement phase of the trunk lid, a cable pull system is used to release a locking hook located near the front edge of the trunk lid to allow the front edge to be raised. In a subsequent movement phase, the seven-joint link assembly pivots the trunk lid about the rear pivot axis of the trunk lid to raise the front edge.
The locking hook remains in its locked position for loading and unloading the trunk. In the locked position, the hook engages around an articulated shaft of the seven-joint link assembly to prevent the front edge of the trunk lid from raising. While the hook is in its locked position, a locking element in the rear region may be released to allow the rear edge of the trunk lid to be raised manually. A passive spring element can be used to assist the pivoting-out movement used for loading and unloading the trunk. The passive spring element may be a gas-filled compression spring.
One disadvantage of the system disclosed in the above German published patent application is that raising the trunk lid about either the front edge or the rear edge is not fully automatic. The driving motor of the rear opening hood only assists the rasing of the front edge to stow the vehicle folding top.
French published patent application FR 28 35 477A1 discloses an apparatus for opening a rear hood for a convertible. The rear hood can be raised at or near either a front edge or a rear edge to open either a folding-top compartment or a trunk of a vehicle. The folding-top compartment receives a vehicle roof in a stowed position. A multi-joint link assembly is located at or near both the front edge and the rear edge. One of the multi-joint link assemblies is displaced from its locked position to an unlocked position to raise either the front edge or the rear edge. The multi-joint link assemblies located at or near the front edge and the rear edge of the rear opening hood move independent of each other from the functional position to the unlocking position. An adjusting element may displace the rear hood from a closed position to a raised position only after one of the two link assemblies has been released and the corresponding edge has been opened. The same adjusting element may be used to raise both the front edge and the rear edge.
This embodiment has a number of disadvantages. One disadvantage of the system disclosed in the above French published patent application is that it uses two independent link assemblies at or near the front edge and the rear edge of the rear opening hood that significantly increases both structural and adjustment outlay. Each of the two kinematic arrangements must be designed to move between a locked, or functional, position and an unlocked position.
German published patent application DE 199 32 500A1 discloses an apparatus for opening a rear hood for a convertible. A front four-joint link assembly and a rear four-joint link assembly couples the rear hood to the vehicle body. Actuation of the front four-joint link assembly raises the rear edge of the rear hood. Actuation of the rear four-joint link assembly raises the front edge of the rear hood. The front four-joint link assembly and the rear four-joint link assembly share a common lever which is actuated by an actuator.
Either a front rotary joint or a rear rotary joint must be unlocked and locked again to carry out the two erecting movements of the rear hood. A first joint located between a first lever and a second lever must be released to raise the front edge of the rear hood. When the rear four-joint link assembly is actuated, the front edge of the rear hood that has been released from a position secured on the body can be raised. The first rotary joint is locked in a position in which it is attached to the vehicle body to open the trunk. When the front four-joint link assembly is actuated, a rear rotary joint is opened and the rear edge of the rear hood is raised.
The apparatus disclosed in DE 199 32 500A1 has a number of disadvantages. Two four-joint link assemblies are required on each side of the rear hood to open the rear hood. The two four-joint link assemblies extend over the entire side of the rear hood between the front edge and rear edge which restricts the amount of free space available.
Applicant's invention improves on the above designs as summarized below.